Alamo Beer now making beer, not headlines

There has been no shortage of news coverage surrounding the Alamo Beer Co. brewery in the shadow of the Hays Street bridge, but very little of it has actually concerned beer. That’s finally changing now that the brewery is open for business. Owner Eugene Simor, never one to be subtle when there’s a way around it, declared this to be the culmination of a concept he’s been carrying around in his mind for 20 years.

The taphouse debut features a pub-only specialty Maibock and the brewery’s four fulltime beers: the Golden Ale, Amber Lager, Pilsner and German Pale Ale.

The Golden Ale was produced under contract by Real Ale since its inception, but the San Antonio-produced variant will take over in stores in the next few weeks. The recipe stayed the same, but anytime the production process of a beer changes, there are bound to be subtle differences. Overall, the new Golden Ale is quite similar to the old one, though the grainy corn-like aroma and taste that it’s always had in the past don’t come out as much in the new one. If I had to pick one over the other, I’d take the new one. What hasn’t changed is its role as a gateway craft beer for those who have been in the Bud/Miller/Coors camp.

The German Pale Ale is a marriage of elements of traditional German lagers and American pale ales. It’s similar to an American pale ale in terms of strength and bitterness, but lager-like in taste and aroma. It has a nice, clean maltiness derived from a Moravian base malt, and a hop profile similar to many German and Czech pilsners. For those who like to compartmentalize beers, it’s closest to an Alt, though when Alamo gets around to making a true example of that style, a good palate will be able to spot the differences.

Alamo’s Maibock is the most substantial of their debut beers. As with all beers in the bock family, it’s a showcase for malt. Sniffing a frothy, fresh mug reveals lightly toasted malt with a hint of sulfur that’s characteristic of classic pilsner malts. It’s mostly dry with just a bit of sweetness, and hides its 7.5 percent alcohol by volume very well. It’s only going to be available in the brewery’s taproom for now, though it may return as one of their seasonal beers at some point.

Once its operations get into full swing, Alamo Beer will have rotating seasonal beers. Most of the lineup is still in flux, though an Oktoberfest in the fall and a doppelbock in the winter are safe bets.

In the pub, one of the taps always will be reserved for a wheat beer. Head brewer James Hudec’s focus will be the beer styles native to continental Europe, so there will be a mixture of German and Czech lagers plus the ale styles of Belgium and northern France. Their Christmas beer, an English-style IPA, will be a rare departure from that theme.

On a related note, Alamo’s opening comes just in time for San Antonio Beer Week, which runs from March 21 though March 29. Between the kickoff at Main Plaza and the closing ceremony at The Pearl, there will be more than 60 events, most focusing on San Antonio-area breweries and brewpubs. For a complete rundown of events, see the SABW website at http://www.sanantoniobeerweek.com/.

Markus Haas is a beer writer for the Express-News. Follow him on Twitter @saen_beerguy or email mhaas@express-news.net.